Health Controversy: Is Sugar Really ... Toxic?

A recent New York Times piece titled "Is Sugar Toxic" grabbed my attention recently. The theory: The sweet stuff is the culprit behind most all major disease and that we should probably avoid not even touch it with a 10-foot pole. Really? I say yes, and no. Let's discuss...

"Poisonous." "Toxic." "The evil one." These are all things researcher Robert Lustig has called sugar, reports the New York Times. His theory, detailed in the famously viewed YouTube post, "Sugar: The Bitter Truth," is that sugar is the cause of all evil (just about) when it comes to human health. Obesity, diabetes, chronic disease--yup, all can be traced back to sugar, says the specialist on pediatric hormone disorders and a leading expert in childhood obesity at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.

He has a point. A good one. And I think, while seemingly radical, his message is a wake-up call to America--land of the 64 oz. Slurpies and such. But, while Lustig might ban sugar in his home, I'm still OK with adding a bit of it to my brownies and cookies, and living life in moderation, which is what any trusted health expert would also suggest.

But, if you consume too much refined sugar in your day (aka, added sugar--not fruit, darlings), here are some ways to part with some of it. I've spent the last two years of my life, in fact, working hard to tame my sweet tooth, and guess what? It's tamed. I rarely crave dessert anymore and think plain yogurt is pretty great (with berries, of course!).

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How about you? Thoughts on the sugar debate? Could you stand to reduce your sugar intake? __